


Manipulation

by ThatMasterOnline



Category: Far Cry 4
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-15
Updated: 2017-12-29
Packaged: 2019-02-14 23:03:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13018047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatMasterOnline/pseuds/ThatMasterOnline
Summary: Ajay has started siding with Amita, but Sabal knows just how to get him back.





	1. Epiphany

Sabal was starting to notice an uncomfortable change. Ajay was drifting away, lured in by Amita and her ‘I was SIX YEARS OLD!!’ sob story. It was all bullshit, even arranged marriages didn’t take place until both parties reached eighteen. Not as old as an American like Ajay might like, but it certainly wasn’t a little girl being married to a thirty year old man, like Amita was trying to make it seem. The problem was, Ajay was new here. He didn’t know that. The country of his birth was completely foreign to him, and Amita was cunning. She had a soft voice, she knew how to sound endlessly kind, and she knew that making Kyrat sound broken was exactly the way to get Ajay to side with her, because Ajay didn’t even know what the traditions were that Sabal was trying to keep.

“Dammit!” Sabal cursed, pounding his fist on the table. What could he do? What could he say? What did he have that Amita didn’t? He left the safe house, because he wouldn't find any ideas in there, and stopped short as he saw Ajay and Amita together. She was talking to him, laughing and very clearly playing the part of the temptress. The other men nearby were shooting sidelong glances at her, their desire apparent, but Ajay seemed completely resistant to her charms. He patted her shoulder and walked away, and the second he was far enough away the charming smile dropped to a look of absolute shock. He could almost hear her thoughts from here: HOW did he not fall for that? It was PERFECT!! Sabal frowned. Even he had to admit, it WAS perfect. Why wasn’t Ajay caught helplessly in Amita’s web right now? 

And then it hit him.

Americans valued diversity. Like...a man being attracted to other men, and being completely disinterested in women, no matter how seductive they were trying to be. That must be it. Ajay must be gay. Sabal wasn’t, he had always been attracted to women. He had been attracted to Amita, once, before he saw what a cunning, lying bitch she was. Being raised in Kyrat, he had been taught to shame and persecute homesexuality, even if it wasn’t outright illegal. Then again, Ajay didn’t have to know that. Ajay didn’t have to know anything. Just because Sabal wasn't gay didn’t mean he wasn’t seductive, he’d seduced many women in his time. If Ajay was attracted to men...the general idea must be the same. With everything Amita had, and was using against him...Sabal could pretend to be gay. He could fall in love with Ajay, if it gave him the control he needed to pull Ajay back from Amita’s clutches. He had wanted to be honest with Ajay, but that wasn’t working. It was a good thing, then, that being a master of manipulation worked with both sexes.

***

“Ajay!” 

“Hey, Sabal, what’s up?” Ajay barely  
acknowledged him. That would change, right here, right now, in the privacy of the safe house.

“I’ve been looking for you. I wanted to know how your search for Lakshmana is going.” Ajay sighed, his attention diverted back to why he was here.

“Not well. Nobody I’ve asked has any clue, and the royal army would probably know more, but, well, they shoot at me before I can ask. I’m still at square one in that respect. Feels like a wild goose chase.” Sabal sighed, squeezing his shoulder.

“You will find Lakshmana, I promise you, brother. We’ll find it together, even if we have to tear the country apart.” Ajay chuckled slightly.

“I thought tearing the country apart further was what we were trying to avoid,” Ajay said with a small smile, and Sabal grinned in response.

“I’d tear the country apart for you, brother,” he said, patting him on the shoulder again, and Ajay sighed.

“Yeah...thanks for that, by the way. I’ve gotten so caught up in Golden Path that I feel like I don’t have time to spend looking for Lakshmana.”

“You don’t owe the Golden Path anything, Ajay. Your help is invaluable, of course, we are making great strides and I know Mohan is proud of what you’re doing, but I know you came here because of your mother. You never knew Mohan, or his work, or anything. You need to focus on your mother, and finding Lakshmana. Any other help you can give is wonderful, but never let me or anyone make you feel that Lakshmana is not or should not be your priority. Alright?”

“Alright. Thanks, Sabal, that really means a lot to me.” It almost hurt Sabal to dismiss Mohan like that, but the words clearly had an effect on Ajay. He looked relieved, and Sabal realized that perhaps he'd been pushing what Mohan would have wanted a little too much. Ajay didn’t know his father. He wanted to, certainly, but that wasn’t enough to get him to devote his life to Golden Path. He had come here because of his mother’s final wish, and Ishwari had loved him, raised him...Perhaps he should mention less of Mohan, and a little more of Ishwari.

“You’re very welcome, brother. I didn’t know your mother, beyond that she was Tarun Matara at the time, but I can tell you loved her very much.”

“Tarun Matara? That thing you want for Bhadra? My mom did that?”

“Yes, she did. The Tarun Matara is a living goddess. She is the bride of Banashur, the god who sang the world into existence. The Tarun Matara is the rightful ruler of Kyrat, and is in constant communication with Banashur, her husband. She communicates the gods’ will to a regent of her choosing, who passes it into law. That is how the government in Kyrat works...normally.”

“Wait. So...the Tarun Matara is a figurehead? She sits on her throne looking pretty, but the regent is the one who really gives the orders?”

“No, the Tarun Matara gives the orders. Kyrat would not stand for anything else. The Tarun Matara is kept free of any threat of physical harm, or anything else that might potentially affect her decision. She decides what the laws are, and while suggestions can be made, it is Tarun Matara who has the final say, on everything.”

“So...my mom...ran Kyrat?”

“For a time. There was considerably less of your mother running the country after Pagan usurped the throne.”

“And the regent...was that Mohan?” Mohan, not dad, but Ishwari was mom, Sabal noted. Yes, directing the conversation towards Ishwari had been a good idea.

“No. Ishwari and Mohan had an arranged marriage, from what I heard. While the priests may have been willing to allow the marriage, since it was arranged before Ishwari’s selection as Tarun Matara, they would not have allowed her to select Mohan as regent, since the Tarun Matara is to be kept free of anything that might influence her decisions.” Finally Ajay nodded, satisfied.

“Okay. Thanks for telling me all that, Sabal. Amita told me about the Tarun Matara a bit, but all she said was that being treated like an object was no life for a child. I...thanks for clearing it up, it’s nice to know the whole story.” Sabal had to resist the urge to take a petty jab at Amita. If he did that, he might lose all the progress he’d made. This was the most Ajay had ever spoken to him, he couldn't risk screwing this up.

“Amita thinks that there is no way to have progress while still holding on to our traditions. Our traditions are what make us who we are. We have to honour them, and I think you can agree that having a woman run our country is hardly a step back for women. Look, I’ll admit, we haven’t exactly been kind to our women in the past, but that was before Pagan. We’ve been forced to have women fighting in the Golden Path with the soldiers we’ve lost, and that’s forced us to admit that women are just as valuable to the Golden Path as the men. There was some animosity at first, but now our women fight alongside the men without question. Once Pagan is defeated, there is no way our women will return to be housewives, not when everyone here knows they can be so much more if given the chance.” Ajay nodded, looking relieved.

“Good. That’s good. I’m glad. I’m sorry, Amita was just making it sound so...doom and gloom, and-”

“ARTILLERY! ARTILLERY INCOMING!!” That was all the warning they had before explosions went off, blowing the safehouse to bits.


	2. Uncertainty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Sabal discovers the one thing he is not willing to do to win Ajay's loyalty.

“Urgh…” Sabal groaned as he came to, looking around. He could hear the sounds of gunfire coming from all around him, and he staggered to his feet, pulling his gun from his holster.

“Shit...Ajay? Ajay!” He looked around, but Ajay was nowhere to be found. He had no way of knowing how long he was out, or whether Ajay had gone to join the fighting or was still unconscious. Either way, he had to help fend off the royal army. He stepped out of the ruined safehouse, shooting at the first flash of red he saw. 

It went on for hours, it seemed, but finally the royal army seemed to have been stopped. The attack on Banapur had ended. All that was left to assess the damage, and get Bhadra out from the house up north-

“The royal army has set fire to the houses in the north!”

“Shit, that’s where Bhadra is! Somebody get her out!” Sabal set off towards the house, but he was afraid he wouldn’t make it in time. Who knew how long Bhadra had been in there...He raced towards the door, heart pounding in his chest, but then the wall smashed and Ajay collapsed to the ground, Bhadra right next to him. Bhadra blinked back to consciousness and stood, struggling to orient herself even as Amita pulled her into her arms, but Ajay rolled over and remained motionless on the ground.

“Ajay!” He was bleeding from his head. That was bad. Amita was rambling about how they should have never saved Ajay, but Sabal didn’t care. He’d made progress with Ajay, he couldn't afford to lose him now. Ajay groaned, rolling over, starting to sit up and moaning with pain because of it.

“Shh, lie back down, brother, I’ll get a doctor.” 

“Amita…” He breathed. Sabal almost rolled his eyes - STILL pining for Amita - but then Ajay’s face scrunched up into a confused, hurt look. So he’d been conscious when Amita had blamed the entire attack and all the deaths on Ajay, and he wasn’t happy about the added burden of guilt. After that, though, Ajay sighed and stilled again, his momentary consciousness blown away like the wind. 

“Ajay? Ajay? Ajay, wake up, brother.” Nothing. Now that he was sure Ajay was completely unconscious, he allowed himself a smile. He had expected a lot of things when he entered that safe house, and nothing that had actually happened had made the list. Most pleasing, though, was that Amita had unknowingly sabotaged her relationship with Ajay. All he had to do now was fill the gap Amita had left. Humming to himself, Sabal took some bandages out of his pocket and called for a doctor as he wrapped the wound on Ajay’s head.

***

Sabal wanted to help with the cleanup, but the doctor had said Ajay would only be unconscious for a few minutes, and he needed to be there when Ajay woke. He gave orders to his men, then took Ajay’s hand and waited.

“Ugh...My head…”

“You have a nasty concussion, brother. Just relax, I’m here.”

“Sabal…?” Ajay finally cracked his eyes open, grimacing, and Sabal smiled gently.

“Brother, thank Kyra. I was worried I’d lost you.”

“Lost me…?” Sabal sighed, patting Ajay’s shoulder.

“I promised myself when I first met you that I’d keep you safe while you searched for Lakshmana. Now look at you. I’ve failed miserably.”

“You haven’t failed. You couldn’t stop that bomb going off, and you couldn’t stop me going to save Bhadra.”

“No, I couldn’t. That was very brave of you, Ajay. You saved her life, and both Bhadra and I are very grateful.” 

“...So what’s the prognosis?” Sabal’s lips curved a little.

“Very grim, brother,” he said with humour, “You have a concussion, and you’ll have to stay in bed for a few days at least.” Ajay chuckled and then sighed, looking away.

“Was it...was it really my fault?”

“No, brother. I told you before, didn’t I? Amita’s a little touchy. Even if she does think it’s your fault, I don’t believe that for a second. Paul didn’t attack Banapur because of you. Amita’s words should be out of your mind, brother, don’t let them bother you any more.” Ajay smiled a little.

“Thanks, Sabal.” 

“Anytime, brother.” Ajay was smiling at him, talking to him more than he had in ages...Things were going well. He hadn’t confessed his ‘love’ to Ajay yet, but the time wasn’t right. Soon, though, soon. He had saved Ajay, again, and he was comforting him and offering him kindness where Amita’s words had only hurt him. Soon he would confess to being more worried about Ajay than he should be, and...we're Ajay's pupils dilated? That was a sign of attraction. Ajay already found him desirable...This was going to be easy.

“Ajay, are you alright?”

“I...yeah, I’m okay, all things considered, why?”

“Your pupils are dilated. Are you sure you’re alright? Your head isn’t hurting, your vision isn’t blurred or double…?”

“Um...I’m a little dizzy…”

“I can call a doctor…”

“No, Sabal, it’s alright, really, I’m fine, it’s just…”

“Just…?”

“Well, it’s...I...Don’t be offended or anything, but I...kind of like you.” This was so easy it was almost rehearsed. The shocked look on his face, the stunned silence, the uncertain expression as he figured out what Ajay meant.

“Like me? Like me...how? You...find me...attractive?” Looking up at Ajay, diverting his eyes back to the ground, looking up again, like he was begging it to be true.

“Yeah, I...I think you’re great. Really...really attractive.” Ajay was mimicking his uncertain expression now, and Sabal knew he was close. He’d go for the kill now, and then Ajay would be his. Amita would never sink her lying, hypocritical claws into Ajay again.

“Well...I...I think you’re...very attractive as well, Ajay. I think…I love you, Ajay. I...that is...I hope you feel the same…”

“Of course I do…” Ajay placed his hands on Sabal’s cheeks, and Sabal swooped forward like he just couldn’t contain himself anymore, kissing Ajay fervently. Ajay returned the kiss with equal passion, and Sabal tangled his hands in Ajay’s hair, squeezing gently. Ajay was moaning already, and Sabal almost laughed. Poor Ajay, caught helplessly in a lie and believing it to be real. He really ought to do something for Ajay to make up for this, perhaps-

Sabal gasped, pulling away. Ajay had grabbed at his manhood. 

No way. He was more than willing to kiss and cuddle Ajay to win him over, but lie down and let himself be fucked like a bitch? No way. Absolutely not.

“A-Ajay…”

“Sabal…”

“You’re injured, Ajay, not right now. You’re not fatally injured, but I don’t want to aggravate your concussion.” Ajay sighed, looking disappointed as he pulled his hand away.

“I suppose you’re right,” he finally said, “...Kiss me again?” Sabal chuckled. Poor Ajay, caught helplessly in his trap.

“Always.”


	3. New Home

“Ajay, I heard you fought in the arena.” Ajay groaned and slumped into a chair.

“Let me guess, you heard it from Rabi, who gave you a blow-by-blow of my thrilling escape from the arena, with my balls hanging out and everything. Did you stick around for the what-do-you-do-if-you-suddenly-realize-being-attacked-by-tigers-naked-gives-you-a-hard-on part? That was great.” Sabal sighed, sitting next to Ajay.

“I promise, by tomorrow this will be yesterday’s news. Just lie low for today. Is there somewhere you can go?” Ajay straightened.

“Yeah. Come with?”

“Whenever you’d like, brother.”

***

“So, Sabal, here’s your job. Point your gun at anything that moves and look angry.”

“So...be myself?” Ajay chuckled, patting him on the back, and Sabal felt warmth blossom in his chest. That was the first time Ajay had patted him, instead of the other way around. Things were looking up. Ajay nodded at him, pulled out his gun, then kicked in the door of the shack they were currently in front of.

“STILL ALIVE, SHIT BAGS!” He growled, sending the two idiots living inside cowering for their lives. With Sabal to back him up, kicking them out took no time at all, after the story about the Ghale Thangkas. When they were gone, Ajay sighed, kicking his boots off.

“So this is...the Ghale family home?” Sabal surmised, looking around.

“Yeah. Bhadra told me about it, so I came here and...those two fuckers drugged me and shipped me off to the arena. So now I’m back in MY house, and...ugh, I’ll clean later. I just want to sleep right now.” Sabal chuckled. He had hoped to cuddle Ajay a bit more while they were alone, but he was letting Ajay decide how he wanted their relationship to progress.

“Certainly. I’ll see what I can do about scraping up something to eat for when you wake.”

“Can you make sure the meat is DEAD this time? I like to eat my food, not be food for my food.” Sabal smiled.

“I’ll shoot it twice more for good measure.”

“GOOD.” Ajay was already climbing up the ladder to where he assumed the bed was, and Sabal sighed. Ajay was a little touchy about the arena. Perhaps he ought to...give Ajay a massage when he woke. That would be perfect. 

Ajay woke to the smell of cooking meat, which Sabal had seasoned with extra spices to make it smell especially tempting. Sabal smiled as Ajay came down the ladder, practically drooling.

“Food first?” He guessed, holding out the plate, and Ajay grunted a response as he took it and started shoving the meat into his mouth. Ajay had barely finished eating when Sabal’s hands were on his shoulders, squeezing tightly on the knots there. Sabal smiled at the loud moan he pulled from Ajay’s throat.

“Tense, brother?” He asked in the voice he knew made women melt into putty in front of him. From the way Ajay’s head dropped over the back of the chair and his pants suddenly looked a little too tight, Sabal guessed the effect was the same for him.

“Very…” He moaned, “That arena was...fuck…”

“Mmm...Why don’t I help you relax, then, brother?” He kissed Ajay upside-down, moaning as Ajay gripped his face, not letting him go and deepening the kiss. Sabal couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped his lips. 

“Feeling better?” He asked between kisses, and Ajay moaned. 

“Not yet. I think you need to work a little harder. I could really use a deep massage…the kind that gets into deep tissues…?” Sabal chuckled, but he was at a loss. Sex, again? They had only just started their relationship! Were all gay men this sexually active? Did they have sex daily? Even at his most sexually active it had only been once every couple of days. Ajay seemed to have sex on his mind constantly, and was constantly pushing for it. This was fast becoming a problem Sabal hadn’t foreseen. Certainly he knew Ajay would want to make love eventually, but right away? Constantly? This was ridiculous!

“Hmm? Maybe later…I’d like to enjoy the surface before I press into the deep tissues…” 

“Aww, Sabal…”

“What…? Can’t I enjoy the surface first?” He reached down and traced a hand over Ajay’s rock hard member, breathing an internal sigh of relief when Ajay moaned, distracted. He could rub Ajay off to keep him satisfied.

“Mmm...you can enjoy the surface all you want…” Thank Kyra.

“Oh, I intend to…” He unbuttoned Ajay’s pants, suppressing a shudder as he laid his hands on Ajay’s member and started to stroke. This was...he could handle this. Really, it was no different than masturbating. The reward would be so much more than just an orgasm, though, it would be Ajay’s love, and his allegiance. And an orgasm...for Ajay. Making Ajay orgasm could never be a bad thing, anyways. Sabal took a shuddering breath.

“I...never imagined, in my wildest dreams, that I would ever be given the chance to touch you like this…” Ajay shuddered with pleasure, but his eyes softened.

“I’m here, Sabal. I’m here, and I’ll never leave you. You have all the time in the world to touch me.” Sabal smiled as he continued to stroke Ajay. He’d finally found that softer part of Ajay. Perhaps, given some time and the right circumstances, he could appeal to this softer Ajay about why he couldn't have sex. He'd been willing to have sex with Ajay, but let Ajay have sex with him? Absolutely not. 

Ajay gasped as Sabal continued to stroke him, shuddering and clutching desperately at Sabal’s shoulders over the back of the chair.

“F-fuck…Sabal...yes…” 

“I’m here, Ajay.”

“Ah!!” Ajay shuddered again, arching into Sabal’s hand. Close already? Perhaps it had simply been a while for Ajay, and all of this would be solved with a good orgasm or two. Kyra, he hoped so. Sooner or later Ajay would start to notice that he wasn’t having sex, and he’d figure out it was probably for a reason. 

“Relax, Ajay, you’re alright. Just breathe and let it all flow through you…” Ajay shuddered and came right then and there, spilling himself over his tip and onto Sabal’s hand. Sabal swallowed somewhat uncomfortably, waiting until he was sure Ajay wouldn’t open his eyes to clean himself up first, and then work at wiping of the residual come on Ajay’s member. Ajay hummed contentedly, oblivious to Sabal’s discomfort.

“I’d touch your face, but I’m too tired to move…” He murmured quietly. Sabal smiled, kissing Ajay deeply.

“Well, you have the rest of the day to recuperate and touch my face all you want.” Ajay’s eyes searched Sabal.

“Yeah...Hey, thanks, Sabal. It’s...it’s been a while for me, I haven’t been in a relationship since...well, anyway, it’s been a while, and I just...I didn’t realize it was taking a toll on me, but...I hope...that is, I know I’ve been on you about having sex, and I hope I haven’t been pressuring you into doing something you’re not comfortable with. This...I hope today wasn’t just to try to keep me...satisfied. I mean, it probably was...fuck. I’m sorry, Sabal, I really am.” Sabal sat next to Ajay, smiling a little. He could buy himself some time with this.

“It...You’re right, it was...very fast for me. Too fast. I don’t...I feel like I barely know you, for us to have sex right away...I couldn’t Ajay, I’m sorry. And...today...you’re right again, I was hoping...if I gave you something, you might be satisfied enough to…” He trailed off with a sigh, and Ajay pulled him close.

“I’m so sorry, Sabal. I didn’t even consider your feelings...God, I feel awful. I promise, no sex until you’re ready, okay?”

“It...it might be a bit of a wait…”

“Because I pressured you into giving me a hand job way before you were ready? I kind of deserve that. Makes perfect sense that you're scared now. Again, I’m really sorry.”

“I-I’m not afraid…”

“You are afraid, Sabal. And that’s my fault. I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry…” Sabal sighed, relaxing in Ajay’s arms.

“I understand. Just...no more, for a while, alright?”

“No more. Absolutely not.” Sabal held Ajay tight, glad that he had bought himself enough time to...find a way to approach this. Hopefully now he could figure out a way around this that wouldn’t damage their relationship irreparably.


	4. Confession

Ajay was true to his word after that, keeping his distance. They kissed and cuddled, but Ajay kept his hands to himself. 

“This is better,” he said one day as they snuggled in bed, “You’re more relaxed around me.”

“It’s easier, knowing you aren’t waiting to sink your teeth in me every time we meet.” Ajay laughed, pulling him in close.

“Is it?” Sabal grinned in response.

“It is.” He thought about confessing now, while he had Ajay relaxed and happy, but held back. It wasn’t quite right. Sabal would have to create the right moment. How would he do that? The soft Ajay seemed to come and go as he pleased. Perhaps he could create a romantic atmosphere...Candles, the works. He was already making plans when Ajay kissed him softly, startling him from his thoughts. Sabal melted into the kiss, humming quietly as he closed his eyes. He admired the skill with which Ajay kissed, how it relaxed him instantly. He could kiss like that if he wanted to, but for now he let himself receive, letting Ajay roll him onto his back and crawl on top of him. He tensed as he realized the position they were in, but Ajay rolled them over swiftly, seeming to realize his partner’s discomfort and putting Sabal back on top.  
“What’s on your mind?” Ajay asked, snuggling into Sabal.

“Hmm...I was planning something special. To thank you for your kindness.” Ajay smiled.

“You really don’t have to do that for me…”

“I do. Very few lovers have been so kind as you, Ajay.”

“I...Thanks, Sabal. But, really...I mean, you were nervous, and I wanted to make you comfortable. It’s no big deal.”

“It’s a big deal to me.” He leaned forward to kiss Ajay. “And soon, I’ll show you just how big a deal it is.” Sabal abruptly realized what his words would imply, just as Ajay smiled, leaning forward to kiss Sabal back.

“Alright. But don’t push yourself for me.” Sabal smiled.

“I won’t.”

***

Ajay and Sabal ended up staying together at the Ghale homestead. It wasn’t exactly close to Banapur, but when Ajay opened up the North Sabal decided it was the perfect place to be, almost right in the middle of the country. Sabal’s voice shook with emotion when he congratulated Ajay, and the soft Ajay returned, making Sabal realize that the soft Ajay - the one he could hopefully talk to about sex - was particularly susceptible to Sabal’s emotions. The more emotions he showed, the more likely it was that he would be dealing with the soft Ajay. Not to say that Ajay wasn’t soft all the time, it was just that when Ajay got that gentle, considerate look in his eyes...well, Sabal felt less anxious about telling Ajay he wanted to be on top. Considering Ajay was starting to look like holding back was taking a toll on him, that was a good thing.

It had started about two weeks ago. Ajay and Sabal has been cuddling, and then...Ajay had stopped responding. At first Sabal had worried that his wandering hands had accidentally touched an injury or somewhere Ajay wasn’t comfortable being touched, but then he realized the opposite was true.

“Ajay, are you alright?” 

“Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, I just...I’m getting a little...um, hard.”

“Ah. Ajay, if you need me to, I can-”

“No! No, I don’t want you pushing yourself because of me. It's fine, Sabal, really. I know you weren’t planning for this to happen (he really hadn’t been, they were just cuddling), it just kind of...did. It’s no big deal, I’ll go take care of it and be right back, alright?”

“Alright…” 

Since then, it had happened twice more, and Sabal knew the strain of holding back was starting to be a pressure for him. If it became too much, it might put an end to their relationship. Sabal had been planning on making a big deal out of telling Ajay. He’d planned on rose petals, leading to an elegant bath (Ajay loved his hot baths), then leading up to the bed, where Sabal would give him a relaxing massage, and then, when Ajay was more relaxed than he’d ever been in his life, Sabal would tell him. He couldn’t do that anymore. This new development told him he was running out of time. Ajay needed an explanation, now, so Sabal switched tactics completely and hoped to Kyra that this new approach wouldn't be entirely unbelievable.

“A-Ajay? Ajay…” Ajay looked up from his tea. Sabal hadn’t wanted to spring this on him, but he didn’t have much of a choice. If he couldn’t take this slow, he would make it look like the guilt of holding Ajay back had finally caused him to confess.

“Ajay, I...I’d like to talk?” Sabal breathed an internal sigh of relief when that gentle look appeared in Ajay’s eyes, and he carefully laid a hand on Sabal’s cheek before pulling him close.

“Of course, Sabal, what’s up?”

“I...Look, I...I know I’ve been...I’ve been putting a lot of pressure on you, by...by not...having sex…”

“Sabal, that was mostly my fault, it’s really no-”

“Ajay, please…” Ajay sighed, pulling him in for a hug again.

“It’s just that I...you…it’s...you’re...you’re very forward, when you express your sexual desires, and...and it’s...well…” He was starting to cry. Well, at least the ruse was so good he’d convinced himself, and that meant Ajay would be drawn in completely. 

“Sabal? Sabal, hey, shh…”

“I-I’m sorry, Ajay, I just…I...You’re so forward, and it’s...I...I usually...I’m usually...well…” He took a deep breath. “...On top.” He sagged into Ajay’s arms, waiting. He’d confessed. Where would their relationship go from there? Sabal honestly had no idea, and that had put genuine fear of losing Ajay into his voice when he’d confessed.

Meanwhile, Ajay sat in silence. All of this, all the times Sabal had pulled away, or looked uncomfortable...because he wanted to be on top? Ajay sighed. This was entirely his fault. He was usually good at reading his partners’ wants, and he’d pinned Sabal as a bottom. Ajay didn’t care either way, so when he realized he would have to take charge in this relationship, he took charge. Except he’d read Sabal wrong. Ajay was fine being a top or bottom, but he understood that it wasn’t like that for most men. Either they had to be on top, or they had to be on the bottom, and change was too uncomfortable to even consider. Ajay sighed, deciding he’d salvage this by switching roles, right here and now. No conversation, no discussion. Sabal needed a bottom, so he’d be a bottom. 

“You...I...thank god…” Sabal blinked. Thank god? Ajay never failed to surprise him.

“I was so worried it...it was something I’d done...That I’d scared you away by...by going for it the second you confessed...I was even starting to think you found me unattractive…” Ajay buried his face in Sabal’s chest, and Sabal slipped into his new role perfectly.

“Ajay, I could never find you unattractive. Not now, not ever.” Ajay sighed, and Sabal kissed him deeply. Instead of pushing to be on top this time, Ajay leaned his head back, baring his throat for Sabal to kiss, and Sabal shuddered at the rush of pleasure. Finally, finally, Ajay was baring his throat, and Sabal would go straight for the kill. He mouthed at Ajay’s throat, emphasizing the wet sucking sounds and shooting bolts of pleasure straight to both their members. 

“Sabal!” Ajay gasped, and Sabal smiled.

“I’m here, Ajay, I’m right here…”

“Take me...Take me, please…I need you…” Sabal smiled, pulling away.

“I think we both need to go upstairs...to the bed?” Ajay looked so unbelievably aroused, and Sabal wasn’t about to deny that he was rock hard. He could do this. He wanted this.


	5. The Tiger

The trip upstairs was slow and awkward, and Sabal pinned Ajay to the bed the second they got there, grinding down hard and pleased when Ajay rolled his hips with equal fervour. Sabal was almost vicious as he tore open Ajay’s pants, Ajay ripping at his shirt with a frustrated whine. Perhaps all this time spent denying Ajay would end up working in his favour. When their clothes were finally removed Sabal kissed Ajay deeply, ready to prepare him, but he pulled back.

“I need...some sort of…”

“T-top drawer,” Ajay gasped, “I keep lube for...for when I…” Sabal got the message, and he smiled.

“Let’s make your fantasies a reality then, shall we?” Ajay was squirming on the bed, and Sabal got up, pouring the lube on his fingers before he was even back to the bed. Ajay was desperate, and Sabal wasted no time in pressing one slick finger inside Ajay. While he prepared Ajay, Sabal kissed and licked at Ajay’s ear, whispering to him to make him even more wild.

“I need you so much, Ajay,” he breathed, “I’m going to make you scream my name, and by the time I’m finished you’ll bear my bite marks for the whole world to see.” 

“Please, Sabal, please, fucking give it to me…!”

“Scream for me, Ajay. Scream.” He pressed himself in, and Ajay did just that.

“AHHH!! FUCK, Sabal, yes! Fuck!” Sabal couldn’t take it anymore, he started moving with barely a second given for Ajay to adjust, but he didn’t seem to mind. Sabal tore into Ajay’s throat, sucking, biting, kissing, everything. He sucked deep purple marks into every spot between Ajay’s jaw and his chest, and Ajay craned his throat back and let it happen. Ajay was marking Sabal the same way, so lost to the pleasure that he was completely unaware of the deep scratches he was making down Sabal’s back. 

“Fuck, yes,” Sabal cursed, “I can’t tell you how long I’ve been waiting for this, Ajay.”

“Me too, Sabal...me too…keep going, I wanna come…!”

“I’ll make you come Ajay. I’ll make you scream my name to the gods as you come, I promise.” Ajay cried out, raking his nails down Sabal’s back again, and Sabal turned his attention back to making sure that every single spot on Ajay’s throat was sucked raw and sensitive, enough that Ajay screamed every time he sucked on it.

“Fuck, Sabal, fuck! I'm gonna come!”

“Scream my name, Ajay. Let the whole world know who made you come. Let them know who you belong to.”

“You, Sabal! You!” Sabal grunted, thrusting deeper into Ajay as he felt tension coiling in his stomach.

“Louder, Ajay. I want everyone to know who ravished you, whose seed you’ll have dripping down your pants.”

“Sabal! Fuck, Sabal!”

“Louder, louder!”

“SABAL! FUCK, SABAL!!! FUCK, AH!!!” Ajay arched and Sabal bit down at the last second, crushing Ajay’s throat in a bite so deep he could feel Ajay’s blood run into his mouth. Ajay screamed as he came, and Sabal’s own cry was muffled by Ajay’s throat as he spilled himself into Ajay with a few last, desperate thrusts. When they were both done they collapsed, Ajay gasping in breaths while Sabal pulled out and collapsed on his side to keep from crushing Ajay. 

Ajay was panting heavily, eyes closed, and Sabal wasn’t doing much better, to be honest. He closed his eyes and let himself float for a while, enjoying the post-orgasmic haze. He had a feeling Ajay wouldn’t be recovered before he was.

When he came back to himself, Ajay was still under, shuddering weakly. His neck was covered in dark bruises, and a little bit of blood was trailing down his neck. Sabal groaned and got up from the bed, searching through Ajay’s drawers until he found a spare bandage. He found a cloth and pressed it to Ajay’s throat, sighing when Ajay whimpered. He made a mental note to apologize later. Profusely. 

“S-Sabal…”

“Shh, you’re alright, Ajay. I’m just cleaning your wound, it’ll be over soon.”

“Wha…?” Ajay cracked his eyes open, and Sabal sighed as he gently dabbed away the last of the blood and slipped back into bed.

“Ajay...How are you feeling?”

“...Wow.” Sabal heard a quiet chuckle. “Best damn fuck of my life, that’s for sure.” He smiled, one arm reaching out to gently pat Sabal. “I knew you were worth the wait.” Sabal couldn’t help it; he laughed out loud, letting out an undignified snort. Ajay laughed along with him, spurred on by Sabal’s laughter, and before knew it the both of them were laughing uncontrollably.

“And here I was worrying I’d been too rough,” Sabal said around his chuckles, “What was I thinking?”

“Thinking nonsense, that’s what,” Ajay replied, shifting to pull Sabal fully back into bed and under the covers. “Just because you were rough doesn't mean you don’t love me. It means you like rough sex, and I’m sure everyone does, to some extent.”

“...I never said I was thinking that.”

“You didn’t have to. You’re worried I’m thinking that.”

“...And you’re not?”

“No, of course not. Slow sex is overrated, it’s so much better when you feel too much, in my opinion.” Sabal smiled.

“You truly are a marvel, Ajay.”

“Hey, I know you love me, you said so yourself.” Sabal smiled, but his eyes were starting to flutter closed. 

“Get some sleep, Sabal. We can talk more when we’ve both recovered.” Ajay reached over Sabal, running his hand down his back as he pulled him close, and Sabal suddenly tensed, gasping and letting out a pained cry.

“Ah…”

“Sabal?” He pulled his hand back and stared at it in shock.

“Jesus, you’re bleeding. Hang on, give me that cloth of yours.” Ajay got out of bed and went behind Sabal, gasping.

“Holy fuck…Jesus, I am...so sorry…Shit.” He started dabbing at the endless claw marks down Sabal’s back, soothing Sabal as he hissed in pain. Many of the marks were bleeding slightly, and Ajay decided he’d done more damage to Sabal than Sabal had with his array of bruises.

“I’ll have to...keep my hands in mind, next time...Shit, I’m so sorry…”

“Don’t worry about it, Ajay. Your yourself said tender sex was overrated.”

“That was before I knew I'd clawed you to shit like an animal! Seriously, people are going to think it was an animal attack.”

“Mauled by the Ajay honey badger, was I?” Ajay only groaned in response.

“Hey.” He reached back, taking Ajay’s hand. “It’s okay, Ajay. I’m alright. You don’t have to apologize for anything. I enjoyed making love to you immensely, and the claw marks didn’t stop me from enjoying this, the same way my biting didn’t stop you from enjoying it. People claw and bite when they make love. It’s to be expected. Besides, I’ll be wearing a shirt, nobody will see anything. They’ll be healed up in a couple days, they won’t even scar, I’m sure.”

“I guess…”

“I never guess. I know, Ajay. Your bruises, too, will heal in a couple days’ time. Honestly, I’d say you’re a bit worse off here, how will you hide the bruises?”

“With my coat, but that’s not the point. These have to be painful…”

“And you're tending to them beautifully. I’ve always said that hurting someone during sex is only wrong if you don't tend to them afterwards, and you’re tending to me just fine.” Ajay was silent for a few moments.

“I’ve heard the same thing, too, but it’s usually with...more extreme things…”

“Well, this is hardly extreme, but the principle is the same. Relax, Ajay. Don’t beat yourself up over this.” Ajay sighed.

“...Okay. I’ll try.”

“Good.”

“...Will you need bandages?”

“You’re the one looking at my back, you tell me. Are any of the marks still bleeding?”

“...A little...It’s not much, but...It’s too many for little band-aids, but not really enough bleeding to warrant wasting all the wrapping we’d need…”

“Hmm...How about this, then. I’ll sleep on my stomach, and you can lay a clean towel over my back, alright? It’ll soak up any excess blood, and I’ll be just fine in the morning.”

“Right. Here, let me go clean a towel, I’ll be right back.” Ajay was back with a spare towel he rinsed off to clean it of any dust, and Sabal gasped when Ajay laid the damp towel on his back.

“Sorry.”

“It’s just cold, that’s all.” Ajay nodded, laying next to Sabal. Sabal had to turn his head to look at Ajay, but it wasn’t entirely uncomfortable.

“...How’s your neck? Do you need anything for it?”

“...You’re the one looking at my neck, you tell me.” Sabal and Ajay shared a small smile.

“...It looks alright. I cleaned the blood from the wound I made at the end, and the rest is just bruising. It’ll be tender, but there’s not much I can do about that.” Ajay nodded, eyes closing.

“Next time...I’m not complaining, but can we try to keep the battle scars to a minimum?” Sabal smiled, nuzzling Ajay gently.

“Well, I can’t promise anything...but we can try.” Sabal too close his eyes, letting his breathing even out. Ajay would never again give Amita’s words a second thought. Ajay was his, and his alone. Jalendu would be his when they got there, and then Kyrat would be his. Ajay was a force to be reckoned with, his opinions made a difference in Kyrat. Now, he had Ajay safely out of the way, so he couldn't interfere with his plans. That’s what he had originally intended with this setup, but what’s more, he now had a second in command. A second that nobody would dare question, and one that would not stand for any disobedience. Nobody would be allowed to speak ill of the man Ajay loved. Ajay was his, and Sabal’s reign of Kyrat was secure. 

It took a few months to prepare, but...That wasn’t bad, for a night’s work.


End file.
